Glorious View Stepping Up For Vagrancy

By Jon Forbes | 05/15/2013 04:39 PM ET

Withgreatpleasure

PHOTO/Adam Coglianese

For Glorious View, the best vistas in recent weeks have come at the front of the pack, and on Saturday she’ll attempt to win her fourth straight when she makes her graded stakes debut at Belmont Park in the Grade 2, $200,000 Vagrancy Handicap for filly and mare sprinters.

The 6 ½-furlong Vagrancy is the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race card and is the third leg of the $300,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4. In addition, Belmont and Aqueduct Racetrack will offer wagering on the Preakness at Pimlico.

Glorious View, who was part of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s winter string in New York, broke her maiden impressively in February in her ninth start. Since the breakthrough score, she has won a non-winners of two allowance by five lengths in March and a second-level optional claimer by six lengths on April 11.

All three of Glorious View’s wins were in six-furlong races at Aqueduct.

“It seems like she’s just figured it out,” said Leana Willaford, assistant to Mott. “She’s always shown some talent, and this winter she hit the right spots. It seems like she’s moved forward, so it’s time to test the deeper waters. She’s fast, there’s no doubt about that. She’s training very, very aggressively. Over the winter she had become more aggressive in her training, and it seems to be working for her. The nice thing about is that if she’s in front, she’s in front, but she can track a horse, too.”

Glorious View, a 4-year-old daughter of Pleasant Tap, is a Laue Ranch homebred. The 3-1 second choice on the morning line, Glorious View will depart from the rail under Junior Alvarado.

Seeking her second straight graded stakes win is Withgreatpleasure, who is cutting back in distance off a three-quarter-length score in the Grade 2 Ruffian Handicap at one mile on April 6 at Aqueduct. Owned by David Blethen, the Vagrancy will be the 5-year-old homebred’s first sprint since she was third in the Grade 2, seven-furlong Barbara Fritchie Handicap four starts back in February at Laurel Park.

“She likes the Belmont surface and has won here going 6 ½ furlongs,” said trainer David Nunn, referring to Withgreatpleasure’s win in an optional claimer over the Vagrancy’s course and distance last June. “She’ll definitely be a closer in here as she’s cutting back in distance. Looking at the possible entries, there should be plenty of speed in the race. The distance is a little worrying in that it might be a bit too short, but I think she’ll be coming late.”

Withgreatpleasure, 5-1 on the morning line, will leave from post 3 with Stewart Elliot aboard.

One of the likely pacesetters is three-time stakes winner Spectacular Sky, trained by Marty Wolfson for Farnsworth Stables. The 5-2 morning-line favorite has made two starts this year, winning the Manatee Stakes in February at Tampa Bay Downs and yielding in the stretch to Aubby K when second by three lengths in the Grade 2 Inside Information on March 17 at Gulfstream Park. Aubby K returned to win the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs in her following start.

Luis Saez, who rode Spectacular Sky to victory in a pair of stakes wins at Calder in 2012, will be reunited with the 5-year-old on Saturday. Spectacular Sky drew post 4.

The field also includes Miss d’Oro, second in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap on April 13 at Aqueduct; Irish Exchange, winner of the Langhorne Stakes in March at Parx Racing and second in the Primonetta Stakes on April 20 at Pimlico; and Fantasy of Flight, who returns to dirt after finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Madison on April 13 at Keeneland.